More than six decades after Los Angeles and Nagoya became sister cities, the relationship continues to bring together people from across government, business, education, arts and culture, and the Japanese American community.
That enduring connection was on display during a recent visit by a delegation from Nagoya, which hosted a dinner on Aug. 14 at City Club Los Angeles. The gathering brought together civic and community leaders from both cities and offered an opportunity not only to celebrate a long-standing friendship, but also to strengthen the relationships that will carry it into the future.
The Nagoya delegation included City Assembly Vice Chairperson Tomoo Mori and Assemblymembers Shinnosuke Hattori, Masahiro Yamada and Koichi Sawada; Deputy Mayor Midori Sugino; Saeko Usui, director for urban internationalization; Masakazu Tsuruda, director of the City Assembly Secretariat; Makio Yamada, director of international affairs; Miyuki Satake, assistant director; Yurina Asai, official; and Ryuji Suzuki, Washington, D.C. Bureau chief for Chunichi Tokyo Shimbun.
Among the guests were California State Assemblymember Al Muratsuchi and his wife, Hiroko Higuchi; Taylor Reddick, director of international relations, policy and protocol for the City of Los Angeles; Helen Ota, president of the Nisei Week Foundation; David Ikegami, president of the Little Tokyo Business Association; Matthew Thomas, vice president of operations for the Society for the Promotion of Japanese Animation; and former LAUSD educators Susan Canjura and Steve Rivas.
The business community was represented by Akira Minamiura, president of Kintetsu Enterprises Co. of America, and Masaaki Okuno, senior advisor at Shachihata Inc. USA, along with other friends and supporters of the Los Angeles-Nagoya relationship.
Representing the Los Angeles-Nagoya Sister City Affiliation (LANSCA) were Chairperson Teruko Weinberg; Student Exchange Chair Erika Lopez; Teacher Exchange Chair Randy Grant; Art Exchange Chair Dr. Jose Corado; Next Gen Chair Max Joran; and past LANSCA chairs Norman Arikawa and Ernest Hida. Hida offered a toast to the visiting delegation with sake from Aichi Prefecture, Nagoya’s home prefecture.
LANSCA extends its sincere gratitude to Yoshihiro Sano for his generous support in making City Club Los Angeles available for this special gathering and helping bring together friends of the Los Angeles-Nagoya relationship.
LANSCA has served as a bridge between Los Angeles and Nagoya through cultural and educational exchanges, youth programs, and business and civic connections. While sister-city relationships begin with two municipalities, they endure through the people who build meaningful connections across borders.
LANSCA welcomes those interested in being part of that continuing friendship. Through its programs and activities, members can connect with people from Nagoya and throughout Los Angeles, experience cultural exchange, support youth programs, and help carry the relationship forward. Those interested in becoming involved with or supporting LANSCA can learn more at lansca.org.